Enrollment
417
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alto, MI
Alto Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Alto Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262205005925
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alto Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 21.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 417
- students enrolled
Alto Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Lowell Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262205005925 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alto Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alto Elementary School
Alto Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Alto, Michigan, enrolling 417 students.
At 17.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.1% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the Michigan average.
With 417 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 471 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #62.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
12.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Lowell Area Schools also operates Lowell Senior High School (1,058 students) and Lowell Middle School (790 students) alongside Alto Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Alto Elementary School compares
Alto Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.1% | ▼ 61% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 417 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
417
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in Michigan - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,374
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 90.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 90.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.5, Alto Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowell Area Schools, which includes Alto Elementary School.
$12,374
Per student
-8%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 59.6%
Federal 7.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Alto Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lowell Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherry Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Murray Lake Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bushnell Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alto Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,058
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~417 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alto Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Alto Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lowell Area Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Alto Elementary School
How many students attend Alto Elementary School?
Alto Elementary School has 417 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alto, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alto Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alto Elementary School is 17.4:1, which is 1% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alto Elementary School?
21.1% of students at Alto Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alto Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Alto Elementary School is White at 90.6% of enrollment, in Alto, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alto Elementary School?
Alto Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Alto Elementary School a good school?
Alto Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Lowell Area Schools?
Besides Alto Elementary School, Lowell Area Schools also operates Lowell Senior High School (1,058 students), Lowell Middle School (790 students), and Cherry Creek Elementary School (485 students). See the Lowell Area Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.